The alleged hysterectomies of ICE detainees add to the U.S. legacy of forced sterilizations
September 17, 2020Picture by Erik McGregor/LightRocket/Getty Images
In 2003, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created with the mission to “protect” the United States from “illegal immigration that threaten[s] national security and public safety.” Since then, and under that guise of protection, ICE has repeatedly targeted immigrants with violence, implementing biometric surveillance programs, family separation, and more. Amidst ramped up calls to defund and dismantle ICE for good, there’s now another horrific report to add to the mix.
On Monday, legal advocacy groups Project South, Georgia Detention Watch, Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, and the South Georgia Immigrant Support Network filed a whistleblower complaint on behalf of Dawn Wooten, a nurse who formerly worked at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) in Georgia. The facility has a track record of human rights violations and is operated by LaSalle Corrections, a Louisiana-based private prison company that faced numerous abuse allegations last year.